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How the Smart Grid Helps Homeowners Reduce Their Energy Use

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Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman explores the new home energy monitor at the Center for Commercialization of Electric Technologies (CCET) Discovery Center’s Model Home. He is joined by Kenny Mercado, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric’s Division Senior Vice President, Regulated Operations Technology; Dr. Milton Holloway, President of CCET; and Craig Lobel, the founder and president of EcoEdge Consulting.

Image: Department of Energy Image | Photo by Jen Stutsman

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Home energy monitors help families identify where they are using the most energy at any one time whether it’s from running the dishwasher in the kitchen, keeping the lights on in the family room, or running the washer and dryer in the laundry room.

Image: Department of Energy Image | Photo by Jen Stutsman

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They let you see how much energy is being used at a given time to run the air conditioner at a certain temperature and the expected costs on your monthly bill.

Image: Department of Energy Image | Photo by Jen Stutsman

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You can also see how energy use in the home changes minute by minute.

Image: Department of Energy Image | Photo by Jen Stutsman

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Deputy Secretary Poneman addresses consumers, stakeholders and reporters at the event hosted by CenterPoint Energy in Houston, one of the nation's leaders in smart grid technology. They have deployed 2.2 million smart meters.

Image: Department of Energy Image | Photo by Jen Stutsman

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With the help of $200 million in funding from the Recovery Act, the CenterPoint project is deploying a total of 2.2 million smart meters, more than 500 grid monitoring sensors, automation at 30 different substations, and a range of energy use tools -- including in-home monitors -- to help families save money on their energy bills every month.

Image: Image Courtesy Centerpoint Energy

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The project also included a pilot program, which provided in-home monitors to 300 customers -- 70 percent of who said they had changed their energy use behavior based on the real-time information they got.